


Sharing Life with a Kitsune

by Bigou



Category: No Fandom, Not a FanFic - Fandom, Not in a fandom - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Aftermath of Possession, Consensual Possession, English ISN'T the author first language, English ISN'T the author main language, F/F, F/M, Kitsune, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Other, Possession, Transformation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-25 00:21:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4939525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bigou/pseuds/Bigou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loïc accidentally become the host of Neptune, his kitsune friend. How will the two cope with it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trapped

**Author's Note:**

> **Please, understand that English ISN'T what I speak in my everyday life.** _So please, instead of simply stop reading if I mangled it too much, explain what I did wrong in comments, thanks._

Among the numerous worlds that exist out there, I don't think a perfect one exist. And mine is probably the farther from perfection it could be. It's a humorously small world, but also a greatly unstable one.

None know how that kind of world can exist in the first place. What we do know is that none of its inhabitants are native from it. Well… Some of us were born here, but not their forefathers. All of them got suddenly thrown into it, often with a relatively small piece of their native world, making our unstable one a bit bigger for it.

Of these unfortunates souls, a lot are humans. A lot of them try to go back to their home world, but none could find a way to do so. Most accept to just rebuild their lives in this strange new world, in the long run. But alas, the few lost-souls that can't got a nightmarish destiny, the unstable nature of our universe literally breaking them apart, atom per atom.

That said, none of us, humans, could live in this brittle little world if it wasn't for the magical beings who share our misfortune. Strangely, this small other group of sentient beings only consists of one other species, probably alls coming from very similar worlds, or maybe from the same, even.

Among all your different languages, none have a truly fitting name for them. You would probably want to call them “fox-demons”, but I don't like how it implies evilness. You could try calling them “fox-spirits”, but then some will start to thing they are some sort of ghost.

For my part, I think the lest bad choice would be to use the Japanese word ‘kitsune’. I know it refers to any kind of fox, but in most worlds, this word is also used in other languages to design the shape-shifting foxes of Japan lore. Don't you find humorous that my patchwork-of-a-world hold together only thanks to beings seemingly coming straight from your fairytales?

Of course, they aren't exactly like the ones in legends, they couldn't be. In fact, the few things you got right are the following ones: They usually grow their eight first tails each time they get 100 years older, and whatever form they are in, they always got a little something that give them away, even the best shapeshifters among them. Knowing what to look for is all you need.

Not that our kitsunes are used to conceal what they are, being our local gods.

Each of them got powers related to one of the four magical elements of our world: ground, air, water or light. But those powers, while essential to maintaining our world's together, don't manifest in them before growing their first tail, the day of their 100th birthday.

What they needed for growing their ninth tail isn't clear, but rumors say it can also help a kitsune's tails to grow faster than they normally should.

As long as a kitsune can grow more tails, or if it's one of the extremely rare nine-tailed one, it won't age. But after growing its eighth one, and unless it finds how to get a ninth, a kitsune will grow old just like a human do.

Also, if a kitsune lose one of its tails, not only said tail will never grow back, but it will also prevent this fox from ever growing more. (Somehow, a nine-tailed kitsune can't loose any of its tails.)

While it's possible for a kitsune to stole the tails of another, they can't gain their ninth tail that way, and will surely cut down their chances of ever having nine tails.

That's not the only problems kitsune have in their lives. They may be born as physical, tailless foxes but when they grow their first one, they have one day to posses a human and take over its body. The most human-friendly kitsune only choose willing hosts and try to let them live their life as often as they can, but most simply erase their host's mind and make its body their own.

The last thing you need to know about our kitsunes, is that they are very strict about hierarchy. And since their rank is based how many tails they have, the higher one is ranked, the older it is.

* * *

For my part, I barely have any memory from before ending in this world, being far too young when it happened. So, like all orphans here I grew in the local temple, surrounded by the kitsunes living there and the humans working for them.

It was the temple of the Noir clan, a pack of black furred kitsunes. The headmistress of its orphanage was a two-tailed fox that looked like a grand-mother, and could be as nice as one if you behaved, but could just as easily make hell of your life if you didn't. That old two-tail was called Karine, and was one of the two kitsune that I often spent time with.

The other one was too young to even have one tail. When we first met, like me she was a kid, albeit a kitsune one, and we often played together. Her name is Neptune and, if I wanted to join the sacred guard, it was in the foolish hopes to protect my friend.

The sacred guard is often seen as the kitsunes' bodyguards, but only their elite is. The rest act as their temple's police. Policeman, that's basically what I wanted to be, not what is seen as elite. But that wasn't my destiny.

Or maybe it was, but the evil plans of Neptune's fathers prevented it.

All I know is, one day I saw my quadrupedal friend running toward me in total panic, pursued by some of the guards. But before I could ask what all this mess was about, we collided and I blacked out.

For the next part of the story, you should ask Neptune herself.

* * *

My dad used to be nice, you know. But those last years he changed, and clearly not for the better. He became power-hungry, convincing himself he would be the next nine-tails, the first one in our relatively young clan.

That alone was enough to make me fear him, but then he started including me in his mad projects, and I was beginning to actually hate him. But that dumb-ass didn't stop, instead he got too far, stealing a tail from a member of the Silver clan, one of the oldest and strongest kitsunes tribes, before giving it to me, making me having my first tail far sooner than I should, before trying to force me into an unwilling host choose by one of his co-conspirators.

I bolted and ran to my only friend, the human named Loïc and, forgetting why I was running in the first place, I bumped in him and blacked out, accidentally making him my host.

* * *

When we woke up, Nep' and me could feel the other presence in our mind and immediately understood what it means, that we would share our body for the rest of our lives.

Neptune sat on the bed, crying “I'm sorry Loïc. I'm so, so sorry…”

I tried to comfort her, to make her understand that, wile I never planed to become anyfox's host, I was okay with being hers, because I trusted her more than anyone else. Alas, it didn't help.

Instead, she answered by showing me her memory of what happened before she accidentally made me her host, and even a bit more before that.

I saw how her father changed from the caring kitsune he used to be, becoming power-hungry fox-supremacist. How, with his co-conspirators, he stole tails from anyone that tried to stop them, redistributing said tails between them. How all this eventually attracted some attention from council of six-tails, leading to a Silver clan's member being send to investigate.

Alas, his inquiring soon made him the fox-supremacists new target. They captured the silver kitsune and, hoping to force Nep' to join them, they gave one of his tails to her, forcing her to choose a host sooner than she should.

But instead of accepting the host they tried to force her in, a woman they felt helped far too much their unwanted guest, she bolted away, hopping I would give her a comforting hug, forgetting any physical contact with a human would make it her host.

As per tradition, Nep' and me woke up in what is called a hosting-up room. It's a room specially designed to help kitsunes adapt to bipedal stance in their human form, among other thing. Such room are situated in one of the few parts of the temples being forbidden to human.

Neptune jumped out of the bed and, not knowing how to stand on two legs, face-planted us. After crawling to a wall, she griped the railing that was there, awkwardly walking to a mirror. It was a full body mirror reflecting what looked like a human-girl, one who would soon become a young woman.

She was a tomboyish but no less sexy Asian with a pixie-haircut as black as her fur usually is except for a silver lock on the right, with almost-fox-like hears of the same black on each side of her head, instead of human ones. Their top part made a slope toward the ground, wile the bottom was perpendicular to her head's sides. Right-now they were in their neutral position, with their opening mostly oriented in front of us, but I saw enough fox to know they could be oriented to listen behind us, flatten themselves against our head in shame or sadness or have their tip go skyward in surprise.

Nep' then looked at her tail. Instead of being black with a white tip, like it should, its fur was silver with a black tip, the typical color of a Silver's tail.

While I sensed her hears flatten themselves against our skull, she looked at her now tears stained face, her eyes now blues instead of the typical gray of a young kitsune.

But before she could ponder what it means, someone opened the room's door. Looking in its direction, she saw her father and some of his accomplices, on of them carrying the restrained woman he wanted to be her host. “Don't worry sweetie, it's not too late to extract you from your current host, and give you a female one. It won't hurt you and will be more comfortable.”

Those words made both of us go mad! If it was true that, during the first day of being inside a host, a kitsune could be extracted from it, that would kill said host, and she didn't want that any more than I did. So by instinct she used her elemental power to trow her tears against them. Because that's what having blue eyes means for a kitsune, that she is a water-elemental.

“Do you really think I will feel better in an _unwilling_ host, when **my current one is an old friend perfectly fine with sharing his body with me?!?** ”

She grew a second tail, but our common rage was too great for our brain to register it.

“And that's without counting of the **guilt** of actually _killing a friend for my personal comfort_ ,” Neptune gained a third tail. “Or the fact my magic created our _Neptune form_ as being female, even if Loïc is **male**.” And here she gained a fourth.

She now started awkwardly walking toward her father, still griping the wall's railing, but the sheer determination in her eyes would, alone, be enough to terrify all peoples present.

“I used to admire you, you know… But that was when you were still a loving and caring father. Since you let someone fill your brain with all that supremacist **crap** , all I feel for you is **hate**!” This time no tail grew, “Hate and **shame** for being your daughter.” it needed this last sentence to grow.

She was now looking her air-elemental father right in his green eyes, said fox peeing himself. “You don't even see me as a person, as your child anymore. Just some asset in your half-assed plan to become… What do you want to become, exactly? The new and only master of this frail world? The next nine-tails after millennium of not any new one appearing? Either way your plan can't work. Do you know why?”

All he could do was shake his head, before looking anxiously at the sixth tail his daughter was growing.

“Because we can't live without humans.” She was already at her seventh tail. “They may be more weak than us, with a lifespan far shorter than ours, without them we would die within a day of growing our first tail. That's certainly why all nine-tails I ever heard of are always depicted as caring as much for the humans on their territory than they do their kitsunes subjects, if not more. Because they know humanity shouldn't worship us, we should be the ones worshiping them.” And with that, she grew her eighth tail.

Then she collapsed, crying. “But the worst part, is that I wasn't ready to have my first tail… I'm only 96, _father_! I was supposed to have four more years to choose my host, **four**! Instead, you made me stole the body of the person I care the most about. I knew my love for him was nothing else than a silly crush, that we would never walk together, hand in hand, that we would never kiss, with him being human and me a kitsune. But to be unable to do all this because we share the same body… Can you imagine how dreadful it must be for him to be captive in a body that should be his own? A body don't have any control of anymore? A body that suddenly became totally alien to him?” Her last tails, the ninth, grew wile she was weeping in her hands.

One of the supremacist, totally incensed by what she said and what he saw, grabbed his sword and impaled us. While it was horribly painful, it didn't endanger us, only enraged Nep' who, using the water in their body, levitated them to the ceiling, before where she stuck them in a motionless stance.

That's when we finally realized what happened in our back, the only mention about a water-elemental being able to manipulate the water inside a living being was in an old legend, one about a nine-tailed kitsune manipulating water.

Even with the memory of when each tail grew in both of our minds, she still looked behind her, seeing her black-tipped silver tail was now accompanied by eight white-tipped black ones.

“Oh no! No, no, no no nonono **NO!** ” She frantically said. “I _can't_ be a nine-tails! I just **can't!** I'm not even one hundred years old! How could I be a nine-tails!?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My English is still far from being perfect, I know it. (And so are my stories.)  
> So don't hesitate to post any comment! That can only help.


	2. Zoé

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neptune and Loïc reunite with an old acquaintance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, you will learn their local definition of "knight". It's slightly different in this kitsune-world.

Even with the memory of when each tail grew in both of our minds, she still looked behind her, seeing her black-tipped silver tail was now accompanied by eight white-tipped black ones.

“Oh no! No, no, no no nonono **NO!** ” She frantically said. “I _can't_ be a nine-tails! I just **can't!** I'm not even one hundred years old! How could I be a nine-tails!?!”

Her frantic checking and rechecking of how many tails she now had got interrupted by someone whistling its appreciation. “I always believed granny was the only one who could do this.”

Looking at the entrance we saw a five-tailed silver-kitsune, accompanied by the same woman Neptune's father wanted to be her host. Tilting our head, the woman asked “Your grand-mother?”

“Her radiance Amphitrite, of clan Silver” answered the silver fox. “My name is Aether, an air-elemental from clan Silver. Could we know yours?”

Not trusting her legs, a bit taken aback and still shocked, Nep' simply looked at him saying “My name is Neptune, but my few friends call me Nep'.”

“It's an honor to meet you, lady Neptune of clan Noir.” Simply answered Aether.

He was about to say more, but a second human (or third, if you count me) make herself heard from the corridor. A very familiar one, belonging to someone that used to be my friend, but started to hate me recently. “I don't **care** if human have the right to be here or no! First my mother disappear, and now Loïc! This is the only place I didn't search!”

The very instant my former friend Zoé Timéro entered she found herself hugged by the woman already present. Zoé answered with only one word “ **Mom?!?** ”

As much as I loath to admit it, Zoé is a very sexy young woman, with her black skin, blacker hairs and green eyes.

You're probably wondering how I didn't knew Neptune's imposed host was Zoé's mother. Thing is, I only saw Ms. Timéro one time before, it was the day she adopted Zoé and her brother. Her daughter still played with me after that, but it was her father who was at their home when I came over, usually.

Zoé still had questions for her mother. “What are you doing here? Are you alright? Do you know where Loïc is? Is he here?” She didn't even let the time for anyone to answer.

Neptune, for her part, slowly raised her hand, timidly saying “I know where Loïc is.”

Zoé looked at us like she hadn't realized Nep' was there, but before she could say anything Aether asked “Lady Neptune!?!”

Immediately, my ex-friend looked at us. “Nep'? That's you?!?” Then, suspicious she added “He is your host, isn't he? To think I believed you to be different from other kitsunes… But you're like all your kind, thinking that being gods give you every right.”

This made Neptune cry again. “ **I DIDN'T MEAN TO!!!** I just panicked when dad tried to force me to take your mother as my host! I… I wanted him to comfort me like he so often did…”

Ms. Timéro slapped her daughter, surprising us all. She then told her side of the story, scolding Zoé for her assumptions at the same time. Then, Aether retold almost everything Nep' told to her father, having heard it from wherever he was detained thanks to the superior sense of hearing common to every fox. Thankfully he didn't mention Neptune's feeling for me, or she would have blushed instantly.

Speaking of Neptune, she was now glaring at Zoé. “Why do you care so much about Loïc anyway? Weren't you the one who made his life hell?”

“Me?”

“Yes Zoé, **you!** _You_ were so nasty to him lately that **he** often was the one coming to **me** for comfort, **crying** , instead of the other way around, like usual.”

“I'm was only trying to **look out for him!** Is it my fault he wanted to join the sacred guard for all the _wrong reasons_!?! I… I feared he would offer to become somefox host, eventually. I didn't want to lose him! Me too, I loved that idiot. But all he could think of was protecting his kitsune friend and now, all is left of him is his body, and it doesn't even look like him anymore…”

Aether remembered Zoé that I was still here before Nep' could. “That's not how things work, in case you forgot. Sure, suppressing our hosts mind is possible, but only supremacists bigots would. Granny Amphitrite always say that being a good friend for our host is the first step toward becoming a nine-tails! …And the only one she is free to share.”

He then came to Nep', finally extracting the sword from our abdomen, before giving said blade to my kitsune friend. “And about protecting lady Neptune, I would say he couldn't do a better job!” This extraction was painful, but the cut closed itself almost instantly after it. “He's the one who helped her become a nine-tails after all, which make them as eternal as our world.”

“I don't know how to give back the control of his body back to Loïc, not _yet_.” Added Nep' “But I promise to let you know as soon as I do.”

Zoé tackle-hugged us, before asking “Do you think he will forgive me?”

“Maybe, if you stop speaking like he can't hear you.” Nep' half-teased.

Now teasing us, Zoé asked. “Oh, so if I kiss you, he will feel it too?” She almost did it, but a blue light coming from a discarded sword stopped her. The blood that stained its blade, my blood, was like sucked inside it, its grip becoming as blue as Neptune's eyes while the fox-head shaped pommel opened eyes just as blue before taking the stance of a growling fox.

“That sword… ?” Started to ask Nep' before being interrupted by Zoé, who confirmed “… is the one dad made for the first nine-tails of clan Black, well knowing it could appear only millenniums after his death than as much as in a few years.”

Then, looking at us, she added. “Since only a nine-tails could become its master, I believe it's yours now, _lady Neptune_.”

“I can't… Can't accept it.” Sobbed Nep'. “Wasn't this blade stolen years ago, when your father disappeared? It should be yours, and need it more than I ever will. There is more supremacist out there, and I'm sure they won't hesitate to **kill** you or your mother for the sole pleasure of **hurting** me.”

Nep' was handing the sword to our friend when Aether yelled “ **NO!** That's… A forbidden practice.”

Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to say more. “A nine-tails gifting a blade magically binded to him, that's how a knight was created.”

Knights are warriors, usually humans, answering exclusively to **one** nine-tails, and to no one else. In the past, when a kitsune lord offered someone to be knighted, it was a sign of great respect from said nine-tails. But the practice was banned after discovering knights were both sterile and as eternals as ‘their _lords_ ’. So only the oldest nine-tails have knights, and rarely more than two.

“Our best bet is to help lady Neptune learn how to walk on two legs, her presence alone should be enough to reveal those murderous traitors.”

But Aether's plan didn't site well with Zoé, Nep' and me. “You forgot a lot of things when making your battle-plan, starting with how many innocents our foes will kill when I start hunting them, without speaking of the lives they could end before I'm able to walk on two legs. And that's not even the biggest flaw!”

“Currently, the only safe place for mom and me is this room” pursued Zoé, “and in case you forgot, humans need food, water and, from time to time, going to the bathroom to stay alive.” heavily implying _unlike kitsunes and knights_.

Looking at her daughter, and understanding where all this arguing was going, Ms. Timéro said “Zoé? Know that I'm proud of you. I will always be, regardless of your choice.”

Zoé nodded. “Nep', if you're okay with me becoming your knight, and **promise** the three of us will go on a date after all this shit, then I will gladly accept this gift.”

“Three?” Asked Neptune, tilting her head.

“I don't know how I hadn't seen it sooner, but you are like two side of the same coin, Loïc and Neptune, **you always were**. Even before you shared the same body, dating one of you without the other would have been like dating only _half_ a person.” Then, she kissed us.

When our eyes opened again, Zoé looked at us with eyes now as blue as Neptune's, her sword's grip firmly in her left hand. As our knight, her mind was now linked to both Neptune's and mine, let me speak with her. It wasn't really words, but she still understood the meaning: _Take care!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, Nep' & Loïc seems to warm-up a bit to fast about Zoé, but keep in mind that they knew each others for, like, forever and are currently in a crisis case, Zoé being one of the few people they trust.
> 
> Speaking of Zoé, I know her line about Nep' & Loïc being two face of the same coin is easy to misinterpret, I hope to explain it better later, but can't promise I will.
> 
> Lastly, I know so far this story make its world look like it's ruled by kitsunes, but that only apply in temples, who are more like sacred-cities of some sort than our own temples. Everywhere else, humanity govern itself, the foxy-gods intervening in human politics only when they are endangering the world's stability.


	3. Madness

Finding something that could efficiently restrain the supremacist Nep' still maintained stuck against the celling took time, but it was a necessary to let her concentrate on learning to walk without making it rain bigots.

Once the captives secured, Aether still insisted on Zoé learning to use her limited access to Neptune's powers, to cast an illusion on her sword, make her look ordinary. He also makes Nep' and me learn how to switch control of our body. “It will be easier for Loïc learn how to properly walk as a female. And since lady Neptune will feel every move of their body, this should make her learn it too.”

I don't know what happened on Zoé's side after that, it's something she won't speak of anyone, not even Nep' or me, and up to his last day on our temple Aether always insisted it was something we needed to hear from Zoé herself.

All I know is that, as Ms. Timéro made her the most unhelpful she could _for hours_ , so much that I didn't remember how to walk **at all** , we suddenly sensed like a psychic cry of despair coming from our friend.

It was so intense it gave us a headache.

“Loïc? Lady Neptune? Are you alright?” Asked the worried voice of Ms. Timéro. But before we could answer, her form changed, shifting to the one of Karine. “Zoé found her mother's body, didn't she?”

I was simply to chocked to do or say anything. Thankfully, Nep' is more resilient than me and took back control of our body, tripping Karine before immobilizing her with her. “Why, did you help the supremacist Karine? **Why?!?** Didn't you **hate** them?”

“I didn't _help_ them, I **used** them. Just like they used **me** in the past, when _my father_ was their leader! We have more in common than you think, you and me, you know. Me too, I grew thinking my father was a caring fox. But then I befriended a human, so he revealed his true colors and made my life hell.”

“So because your old man messed up your kithood, you decided everyone else should also live hell? Don't you see how messed-up this is!?!” Enraged Neptune. (I would have too, but Nep' was the _one_ piloting our body, so…)

“No! It's because our clan's first nine-tails should have been **me!** ” Answered a demented Karine. “But my father prevented my ascension snatching my third tail as soon as she grew, so I did everything in my power to prevent anyone from ever stealing what should be mine. But somehow you still did it. **Being the Noir's nine-tails was my right, AND YOU STOLE IT!!** _ **YOU STOLE IT!!!**_ ”

She tried to overpower Nep', to no avail. A kitsune's powers grow exponentially with its number of tails. So while Karine, with her two tails, is two time more powerful than a one-tail, _Neptune is nine times more powerful than a_ _ **height-tails**_.

That's the scene a breathless Zoé saw when she came back. “So… You… Discovered… The… Impostor… By… Yourself…”

Rather than offering any comment about that, Nep' said “Sorry about your mother…” while I let her know I shared her sadness.

Zoé shook her head. “Mom isn't dead, not yet! Aether seems to have some plans to save my brother and her, but he need you for it.”

* * *

According to our Silver friend, nine-tails could sense the spirits inside their clan's members and any human under their protection. (Which include every human living inside their temple.) While he didn't have any practice, since he never had more than six tails, he **does** know the theory behind it, his grand-mother apparently wanting him to be as ready as possible if he ever grew his ninth one.

So he wrote the instructions on a paper and gave it to Zoé, who let me read it before adding “He wants you to use this ability to find who took my father as host, hoping dad's mind didn't crumble already.”

“Did he say why does he need your father rather than anyone else?”

“No, only that that if his mind already fully shattered, we should try to find someone whose host could be trusted by mom.”

After securely binding Karine we exited the hosting-up room, Zoé helping me to stand and walk. We first visited the few one tailed kitsunes we had arrested since, while neither Nep' nor me liked the idea of using them as guinea-pigs, but we liked even less the idea of killing Mr. Timéro because we didn't.

Thankfully we didn't hurt any of them and, while some of those host minds were already broken, most were still fighting for their survival and since Nep's little trick gave them back control of their body, albeit for a short time, it renewed their hopes.

Then, we headed toward the three-tails supremacist that attacked Neptune with Zoé's sword. After all, he was our best bet right then!

So as soon as we entered his cell, Nep' took our body's control back and, like she did with the others, placed her right hand on the side of his face, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, we were greeted by a very familiar expression. It was strange seeing it on a stranger's face, but there was no doubt we had William Timéro in front of us.

After expressing how much he was proud of Zoé for accepting the burden of knighthood, looking in my direction, he asked. “So, did you find a way to free me from the hell of being **his** host, or is this only temporary?”

“Temporary, _for now_ at least. Our friend from clan Silver seems to know a lot about this kind of things, maybe we can make it a definitive thing.” Neptune said, smiling timidly. Then, far more somberly, she added “But presently, he seems to need your parasite and you to save your wife and son from a certain death.” And before he could comment on that she lifted her hand, his parasite being back in control.

“Do you really think I will _cooperate_!?! I will rather **DIE!**!!”

To which Zoé instantly snarked “Darn, we planed to ask nicely!”

After that, I let Zoé guide us toward Aether and her remaining family, Nep' using her powers to both make our prisoner float behind us and preventing him from speaking more.

* * *

When we arrived on site, my stomach clenched. Or rather, it would have if I hadn't become the host of a being that don't have any, since she don't eat.

The Timéros home wasn't anymore, a gigantic crater full of taking its place. Even her brother's forge, formerly her father's, didn't survive. Some scraps had flown to nearby houses, others hurt some innocent bystanders, but it was nothing life threatening, unlike for Zoé's family.

On Aether left side was Thomas, Zoé's big brother, a wooden beam perforating a lung, barely missing his heath. On the silver fox right side was Ms. Timéro, the true one this time, with a chunk of metal lodged into her shoulder. This may have looked like lesser injuries than her son's, but only if you disregarded the broken runes covering the fragment.

It was taking all of Aether will to maintain her soul together, and simultaneously stabilizing Thomas wasn't especially helping. But, while he didn't look at us when he sensed our presence, he still greeted us, before speaking to Thomas.

“Young man, because of circumstances beyond anyone's powers, our only way to save you is to change you into a kitsune with all that means, including both its benefits and drawbacks. Being born human you should have two whole days to choose your host, but that's all. Understood?”

Thomas nodded.

“Good. Do you promise to choose you host carefully? Someone you trust and who trust you?”

He nodded again.

“Do you sure you would rather become one of us rather than die?”

That time Thomas glared at Aether, clearly thinking ‘ _make me a fox already!_ ’

“Okay. Zoé? I need you near your brother's chest, ready to take out the beam out of him at my signal. Neptune? I need you near his **butt** , ready to tear of a tail from your prisoner and stick it where our patient would have one, was he a kitsune. And **yes** , that mean you _should_ take-off his pants.”

While uncomfortable with the idea of undressing Thomas, the girls both complied then took their posts. When Aether gave his signal, they did as instructed, the young man changing into a fox under our bemused eyes, his wound closing.

Between seeing her son was saved, at least for now, and Aether now able to concentrate all his powers on herself, Ms. Timéro's health slightly improved.

“Now, I need Neptune and our prisoner her, placed so Zoé's mother and him can look at each others.” Again, Nep' did as instructed. “Now, I want you to make his host be in control.”

As she did this, Neptune placed herself so Mr. Timéro could sit beside his wife without breaking the needed physical contact between him and my six-tailed friend.

“Nora?” Timidly asked William Timéro, taking her hand in his.

Even if the face, voice and hand were differed from the ones she was used; the way he was squeezing her hand, that unmistakable spark in his eyes, or all the love he called her name with, Nora hadn't any doubt: “Willy?!? It's you! It **is** you!!!”

Taking a long breath, Aether cut this emotional moment short. “Ms. Timéro, Mr. Timéro, Neptune, I need the three of you to listen carefully. Because of the broken runes on the shrapnel, the way we saved Thomas won't work. Instead, after taking a tail from Mr. Timéro's current _inhabitant_ , Neptune will have to carefully place Nora's soul in it, then to rapidly extract said parasite and place Nora in its stead.”

Then, looking at the only nine-tails around, he added “Neptune, you only have one second to give Nora her host, and she need to be in him the very instant you free her husband. Not before and not after, not even slightly, or Mr. Timéro will die, condemning his wife. And if it wasn't enough, you'll need to be the one maintaining Nora's soul together, since I can only do it while her soul is still in her body.”

“I will be honest. Even in the best of times, it wouldn't be guaranteed to work, and lady Neptune's inexperience is playing against us. And even if it works, the Timéros could suffer life-long injuries, in some case it could be worse than death. So, if any of you don't feel like going farther, no one can blame him. Question?”

“Yes,” answered William. “Why do you need **me** specifically?”

“Because your wife's broken soul will need someone helping her mend it, preferably someone she trusts absolutely.”

We all agreed to try. It was hard and tiresome, (yes, even for _me_ ) but Zoé's parents were successfully saved. Not without consequences, costing them their sight, but it could have been far worse, all thing considered.

None of us know why those two didn't black out instantly after that, like it's usually the case after a one-tail choose its host. Was it because William Timéro was already one? But since it gave me an opportunity to explain how he could help his wife recover sooner than I expected, I'm not complaining.

Aether looked at Nep', said “Good work, you two!” and collapsed from exhaustion.

Sill having her would-be killer in one of her hands, and not wanting him taking a new host, she placed him on Ms. Timéro's former body, condemning him to the painfuller death ever.

* * *

I know, I shouldn't have done this. After all, not even the worst monster ever deserve this kind of punishment. But my only alternative at the time was way to dangerous for the humans living in the temple of the Noir clan.

Loïc only had the time to see me doing that, before falling asleep. It was strange, sensing his mind loose consciousness while I stayed awake, but I still needed to do a few things before I could do the same, the first being what should be done about Aether and Thomas.

We couldn't let them here, obviously, but between Ms. Timéro needing to be guided, Thomas not knowing how to walk on four legs, and Aether being unconscious…

Zoé for her part, was trying to calm her brother. Usually, she only needed to hug him, but right now that prospect terrified him. So she dropped the illusion concealing her sword, it could help him understand. “…And I accepted, becoming her knight. So don't worry, I can't become an host anymore.”

That's when I saw a woman walking toward us. “Sir Zoé.”

“No need to be formal, _Fátima_.” Interjected Zoé.

“Er…” Hesitated the now named Fátima. Then, pointing to Thomas she asked “Did Tom really become this fox? Is he really a kitsune?”

“Yes, it is my brother, and yes, he is a one-tailed kitsune.” Zoé answered. “So you should stay away from him, or…”

“I wont touch him _for now_ , but being his fiancé, I believe I **should** have a say in who's going to be his host. Don't you?” Then, Fátima looked at me, suddenly noticing my nine tails. Hurriedly kneeling down, she said “Your Radiance!” like not doing so would offense me.

Unluckily for her, it's doing so which offended me!

Normally, I would have calmly said I prefer to be addressed like anyone else. But being exhausted I furiously grabbed her shin, slowly making her stand up, before asking “Would you like it if your neighbors bowed to you, calling you ‘ _Your Neighboring_ ’ each time you met?”

“N-no!”

“ **SO WHY DOING IT TO _ME_?!?** ”

“Be-because you're a nine-tails?” She asked, full of hope like it was the right answer, like growing nine-tails changed me into a pompous jerk. “Nine-tails like to be treated this way, right?”

“I can't speak for others, but _I_ certainly **don't**. What _I_ like is being treated like any other sentient being, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I **AM**! So from now on, miss Fátima, you will call me by my **name** , which is _**NEPTUNE**_ , not ‘ _Your Harshness_ ’ or whatever!”

My ranting seemed efficient, since she responded with a shy “Sorry.”

“Listen, I didn't want to explode like that, but I'm tired and **do** like to be treated normally.” Then, thinking a bit I added “You should come with us, help Ms. Timéro find her. You can even stay for the night if you want. Zoé will show you the way after grabbing her brother.”

“And you?” wondered the knight.

“I will follow in a bit.”


	4. The calm…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things slowly go back to normal. (Well… Their _new_ normal, at least)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what some of you will think: _‘But… Hadn't he already posted this chapter?’_
> 
> Well… I did, but **an unfinished version**. (Oups.) So I deleted it from AO3, not wanting too much peoples reading an unfinished chapter.  
>  Now chapter 4 is **truly** finished, and thus back online.
> 
> I don't know what I have with this story, but somehow its chapters are far longer than what I usually do. Look at my other works: I'm usually a specialist in doing very short chapters. But when it come to _Sharing Life with a Kitsune_? I create chapters longer than I ever think them to possibly be. (I'm also doing more chapters that I planed to do, but I realistically can't tell my story otherwise, I have too much to say.)
> 
> Anyway, **enjoy!**

I woke up in some unknown, lavishly decorated room, Zoé hugging me while Nep's nine tails blanketed us. Everyone was present, including a girl I hadn't seen until then. All of them sleeping soundly.

Neptune showed me what I missed after passing out, I thanked her for sharing the memories, Including that she stayed behind to help all the now homeless peoples find lodging for the night.

I felt Zoé stirring up, both physically and mentally, thanks to our link. “Hello.”

“Mm.” She laconically answered, adding a mental hug to her physical one.

The girl I now knew was Fátima, seeing we were awake, approached us and murmured “Miss Neptune, miss Neptune! Do you think I could still marry Tom if I became his host?”

Nep' tilted our head. “Why should **that** prevent you from  officializing your love?”

With that, Fátima sat beside Zoé and me, probably pondering on the possible answer while her fiancé growled, visibly not liking Neptune's answer.

A bit latter, it was Aether's turn to wake-up, except he slowly turned into a woman, before saying “Aeth really strained himself if I'm awake before him!” Then looking at us, presented herself. “My name is Aliza, sorry I couldn't present myself sooner.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you Aliza. And you shouldn't worry about not presenting yourself sooner, especially since the circumstances were hardly ideal.” Reassured Nep'.

Seeing Aliza had an alliance, which she was fiddling with, Fátima asked “Isn't it hard, being a host, to have a love life?”

“I suppose it is, for some peoples…” Answered Aliza. “I can't deny there is a lot of drawback. But when you're hosting your husband, like me? There is one perk that make it more than worth it: **mind-sex!** ” She made everyone currently awake blush like never before. I'm sure even Thomas was dead-red under his black fur!

Looking at Fátima, Zoé commented “I think _this_ answer you earlier question.”

“Aeth and me are a bit of a special case. In some way, you could compare it to the one of your parents', Zoé.”

“You previously hosted a jerk?”

“No, but the method that saved your parents also saved him. Aeth and me met because my brother was his first host. We slowly fell in love, which was made terribly awkward by his host being my brother. Then some vixen, jealous he preferred a human over her, graved some partial runes on a blade and planted it on Aether and my brother.”

“Is your brother…”

“Dead? No, Lady Amphitrite and Lady Gaïa rescued Adam's soul too. He's sharing my body with Aeth and me but, just like Ms. Timéro lost all awareness of her sight, preventing her husband and herself from ever seeing again, he lost all awareness of how to move, preventing him from doing any movement by himself.”

After this bomb, the room fell in an awkward silence.

* * *

I'm not going to enter in the boring details of our investigation of which kitsune was a kitsune-supremacist and which wasn't. Turn out Karine was able to blackmail almost all the Noir clan, causing lot of problems. Resolving them was a true nightmare, even after Aether called for help.

Speaking of help, among them where three other nine-tails. Lady Amhitrite and Lady Gaïa from clan Silver, respectively a water-elemental and a ground-elemental, and a red fox called Lord Ifrit, a light-elemental from clan Roux.

They all made us learn a lot about our powers and how to use them.

Nora Timéro was the one who stayed the more in Lord Ifrit's presence, the two controlling the same element. (Don't you find it a bit ironic that a sightless kitsune also happen to be a light-elemental?) It's also thanks to Ifrit that she learned to use her powers over light compensate her sight. This made her so happy she instantly grew eight more tails, becoming the second nine-tails of clan Noir.

Thomas didn't become a nine-tails. Instead, he chose his best friend as his host rather than his fiancé, ending single as a result. It didn't dispense him from training his earthly powers under Lady Gaïa, who could be resumed as ‘Master Yoda, if he was a fennec vixen with silver fur’.

Zoé, for her part, still has good relations with her ex-boyfriend's family and friends.

Lady Amhitrite is more like a Venus made kitsune, but wasn't less efficient in making Zoé, Neptune and me learn how to manipulate water. On top of this we also got strategy lessons. (From Lady Gaïa, vixen Yoda oblige.)

* * *

It was almost a year since I became Neptune's host and she became a six-tails when our guests took leave. With their help we were able to rebuild all that was lost and right all of Karine's wrongs that could be righted, including giving Aether back his sixth tail. (Although, since we couldn't give him the stolen one, since it became Nep's first, he took a black one on a supremacist.)

Since being nine-tails made Nora and Nep' the unquestionable heads of the Noir temple, they were able to enforce that any kitsune should let their hosts have as much time to be with their loved ones than possible, giving them back control over their body, along with their ‘old’ appearance.

All this helped restore a bit of the lost trust the human peoples of the temple in their kitsunes neighbors, especially since Lady Amhitrite, Lady Gaïa and Nep' went out of their way to ensure that no psychically sane host had a supremacist inside, using their powers to switch kitsunes between hosts when needed.

It even got more complicated when two lovers happened to be hosting two kitsunes that didn't care much for each others and Neptune, refusing to let them in that condition, went out of her way to make them host two kitsune-lovers. (It wouldn't surprise me if they became the next nine-tails of clan Noir.)

Anyway, our guests were about to leave and, while our lack of protocol when they came was excused due to the circumstances, we needed to respect it for their departure.

Nep' and Nora being the only nine-tails of our clan, they were the only one forced to be in ceremonial clothing and makeup (meaning William and me were in it too, being their hosts).

Being polite, Thomas insisted to do the same and, since men kimonos were far simpler than women ones, making him able to putt it on alone, unlike his mother and Neptune who bitched about it. (I did too, but only his sister and Nep' could hear it.) That said, his inability to correctly paint the markings on his face calmed things a bit.

We could count on both Fátima and Zoé to help us with both dressing (for who _needed_ help) and applying makeup. About said markings, they are always drawn depending on a kitsune elements, so while Tom's ones were the expected red, Nora's were yellow and Nep's were blue.

As soon as we were ready, we hurried toward the place of the departing ceremony.

Honestly, that kind of ceremony is nothing special, just a very formal and pompous way of saying ‘take care and hope we see you again before the next millennium’. What was special was what happened next.

First, Lady Amhitrite reminded us that, unlike suggested its name, the council of nine-tails was only composed of some of said kitsunes, a place in it granted only if **every members** felt the potential new member deserve it, before adding “and while a knight is always liked to **one** for, they all are worthy of a nine-tails, and would probably be if they were kitsunes” suggesting that _a knight **could** _become a member too._ (It just never happened before, somehow.)_

Then, Lady Gaïa said “And as a councilor myself, to present you two as prospective members I want. _With me coming, immediately you will!_ Discussions of _this_ order, **tolerate I will not**.”

At this, Zoé drew her sword while Neptune took defensive stance, both crying “ **BUT WE'RE STILL NEEDED HERE!!!** Those peoples lives, **our** peoples lives, are just _starting_ to go back to normalcy! Without speaking of all the peoples that already started coming just to meet the firsts nine-tails of this territory!”

At this, Lady Gaïa laughed so much she rolled on the floor, while an apologetically looking Lady Amhitrite timidly said “Sorry, that was her way to ensure you were worthy of being counselors.” Lord Ifrit for his part, was slowly shaking his head in disapproval.

“And like we hoped you reacted.” commented a ginning Lady Gaïa. “So like with my fellow councilors we decided, members the two of you now officially are.”

She then gave us two box, one for Zoé and one for Nep'. “A specific meeting place, the council don't have. By specific crystal balls together we communicate, only when the need arise or for our millenary meeting, in person each others we face.”

Lord Ifrit was the one speaking this time. “While I don't like the way Lady Gaïa conducted her final test, just like I don't like her forgetting to remind our new fellow councilor they share that title with their host, who _has_ to take part on the council decisions.” Then, looking at Nora, he added “You are worthy too, Lady Nora Timéro. But your husband and you still haven't fully adapted to your new life, so your membership is in stand-by until you're ready for it.”

“What if I don't **want** said membership?”

“I fear you don't have a say in the matter, sorry. When we propose a new member, we are forbidden to let that somefox know. And once accepted, you are a member for all your eternity. Had I known you…”

“If propose her you didn't, somefox else would have. After Karine's betrayal, taking over the orphanage by herself she chooses. Be rejected as a member she never would.”

“Wait. Does that mean you're all councilors?” Interrupted Fátima.

Raising her hand, Lady Amhitrite answered “I'm not.”

Not paying much head to that exchange, and seeing Nora growing distress, Lord Ifrit tried to comfort said the formerly human vixen. “Don't worry. You're a nine-tailed kitsune now, remember?You have all of eternity for readying yourself.”

“But… But how could I be worthy of being a kitsune counselor? **I TOOK MY HUSBAND'S SIGHT!**!”

It was Nep's turn to intervene. “No, you didn't. It may be true that, being your host, William is blind only because you lost your sight, but you're not responsible. If it wasn't for **YOU** , he would have lost far more than that. Without _you_ , he would have **died** , killed by the jerk he first hosted.”

“If you need to blame _anyone_ for his blindness, blame **me**. _I_ was the one unable to save your sight. Could I have done a better job at saving you? Probably, if I had trained before. But what I did that day I did it only knowing the theory, a theory I learned only seconds before. So trust me when I say we're lucky you aren't more crippled than that.”

“The result could have been far worse than death, but I needed to at try to saving you, or I wouldn't have been able to look Zoé eyes in eyes ever again.”

“And while it true you will never see again,” added Lord Ifrit “You're a light-elemental, remember? With time, you will learn to _sense_ the light. In fact, with a power like ours, being blind could become a blessing, unlocking the capacity to feel every color separately, letting your husband and you discern thing better than if you didn't lose your sight, as long as it's inside  Noir territories.”

With that, Nora felt better, thanking both Nep' and Lord Ifrit for cheering her up, but didn't believe what the latter said about how she would learn to ‘see’ via her powers.

Before they truly left us, our guests had a last thing to say. “Being living gods, humans always wanted to feel closer to us, often sculpting kitsunes figures to help. Some goes way farther in the creepiest way possible, changing themselves in living idols of ourselves. It may be sick, kind of sad, clearly unhealthy and creepy as hell, we can't do anything against it beside saying time and again how much we hate when they inflict this to themselves.”


	5. Avatar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Until then, neither Nora or Neptune had gotten any _living_ idol. But thing couldn't stay **that** good for too long…

The next major events in our lives didn't happen until a few years.

We all had settled nicely in our new lives. Even Nora had finally adapted to her new life, despite still refused to go outside of our temple. So while she was the first kitsune peoples from living at the temple prayed to; everywhere else in the lands we protected Nep' was, by far, the one most revered.

Although calling prayer our neighbors request for help or small favors is a bit of a stretch, since they treat every kitsunes as peoples, and understand that ensuring our world stability comes way before any favors.

Things are very different in the human-governed part of our territory, be it in countries larges and smalls, or independents city-states. There, no one realize that kitsunes being _living_ gods mean they are _peoples_ first. Make them **stop** bowing down to what they see as the local _divinities_ , calling them ‘your Glimmer(s)’ (or ‘your Radiance(s)’ for nine-tails) is almost impossible, even when lucky enough to **not** have the local ruler claim “Don't listen! Her Radiance is _testing_ us, to see how _faithful_ we are!”

Such peoples often end in hospital, courtesy of Neptune, who's not always able to calm down in time, even with Zoé's help.

Since adults can't accept that kitsunes are (mostly) ordinary peoples at heart, I suggested educating the kids instead, which Zoé instantly backed up.

That's why we started going to many celebrations dedicated to children than we could. We also organized a yearly gift giving fest on what we call the _first day_ , one town or city picked randomly having Neptune coming personally to give them gifts. … Okay, _I'm_ the one really doing the gift-giving, Nep' not having much patience with kids. But I do it while looking (and sounding) like her, wearing her full traditional grab, (even if I still hate female kimonos very much) which help make kids happy.

What's a _first day_? It celebrates the first day of the year which, supposedly, is also our world birthday. It also coincides with the winter solstice.

You need to know that our calendar is a bit different from yours. While our seconds, minutes, hours days and weeks are the sames, our 12 months are made of 5 weeks each, giving us 420 days a year. You remember how I said our world is unstable? Somehow, having years made of 360 days would make things much worse.

Anyway, about the children's gift-day, things proceeds this way: A kitsune come in town, stay the whole day to play with the kids, (there is always some parents nearby, since they're still in their hometown.) and in the evening each kid, as long as he was nice (and didn't use too much weird names when speaking to the kitsune), is given a toy.

What make the first day ideal to do a gift giving? Parents usually partied all the night before and aren't in much a state to insist on their offsprings using any therm of false endearment.

To go back to my story, I had just finished gift distribution and was about to ask a random kid to draw lots, choosing the town I would go too next year when the ruler of Belusco, prince Eudes Édouard De Malfréquentables, stopped me claiming “And now, the good city of Belusco has a gift for **YOU** , _your Radiance_.”

While I gritted my teeth at being called that, prince Eudes still avoided being hospitalized thanks to Nep' taking a nap. (That was weired by the way, being awake while she slept.) Narrowing my eyes, I did my best impersonation of Neptune. “I was given **a name** for _a reason_ , you know. So, if you had only an **ounce** of civility, _your **dumbness**_ , you would have the courtesy to use it, calling me **Neptune**. N-E-P-T-U-N-E: Neptune. Is it so hard to remember?”

“But…”

Whatever Eudes De Malfréquentables was about to say, I didn't let him. “And while I usually **tolerate** being called _lady_ Neptune, since it seems most peoples **need** to give me some title, your _disdain_ for my dear left-handed knight, **sir** Zoé, make you loose the privilege.” I liked scolding this pompous jerk far more than I probably should.

He tried to look calm and sorry, but I could hear him grind his teeth thank to Nep's ears. “Sorry you-Err… _Neptune_ , we will **try** to keep it in mind. Now, about that present…”

Peoples wishing to give something as thanks to a kitsune was nothing surprising, especially with Nep' being a nine-tails. It usually was some money we don't really need or food we needed even less, but there was this one time it was a painting of me (as Neptune) playing with the kids. Since I have a particular fondness of it, Nep' enchanted it to protect it from the ravages of times.

Sometime, instead of a real gift, they took advantage of our presence to reveal an idol of Nep' and Zoé, (and I suppose that _technically_ it's also an idol of **me** , since I'm the one sharing my body with the kitsune) few peoples daring to not include our knight since she always seemed to be at our side.

So far, the Noir clan had escaped having any living idols of its members, including its six-tails thanks, in part, to Nora never leaving the temple and Neptune rarely seen without Zoé around.

Alas, the unlovable Eudes Édouard De Malfréquentables, ruling prince of Belusco, was about to change this, determined to use the worst possible way.

As soon as I saw four strong men carrying a palanquin on their shoulders, I knew what was inside: A living idol, disturbing being sometime identified as an _avatar_ , and this one probably Neptune's.

What I _wasn't_ expecting was said avatar to be **a kid!** That sight instantly changed my _disgust_ for the very concept of humans-turned-divine-portrayal into _pure, undiluted hate toward whoever dared doing this to a child_.

This young avatar couldn't have reached its 10th birthday, but I wasn't able to be more precise, its face being hidden under a black fox mask bearing the same blue marking than I was currently wearing. She was wearing a kimono almost identical to mine, and I could smell the stench of the bad dyeing products used to make its hairs as black as Nep's. (They forgot her silver lock on the fox's right.) Being human the young avatar didn't have any tail, but her hears had changed into typical kitsunes ones.

I looked in the dumb prince's direction, who seemed prouder of himself than he ever did, regardless of how impossible that is. Two peoples had joined his sides and managed the incredible feat of looking more smug than their prince. Judging by their clothes they seemed to be commoner, which could only mean they were the poor kid's parents.

Without letting them out of my sight, I slowly walked towards the child they cursed, and hugged it. This close, the foul smell of hair dyes was even more powerful, waking up Neptune, but sensing I needed to take care of this myself, she stayed a simple spectator. (Idem for Zoé.)

Ending the hug to look in the kid's eyes, I discovered they couldn't be seen, the blue glass covering its mask's eyes-holes being opaque on my side. But that didn't deters me and, remembering avatars don't speak, I said “I will ask you some questions you can answer by either nodding for ‘yes’ or shaking your head for ‘no’. Do you understand?”

A timid nod answered me.

“Are you feeling well?”

I got a more generic nod.

“Are you a girl?”

 _She_ answered with frantic nodding.

“Do you remember your name?”

There was a bit of a pause, then some hesitant nodding followed by a finger pointed to _me_.

I facepalmed and asked “Do you remember your **old** name, the one you had **before**?”

This time, the girl shook her head. Crying at this sad new, I hugged the poor child again, for a bit, before resuming to my questioning. “Can you point to who changed you into _this_?”

She nodded anew, more calmly this time, before pointing toward her parents and the prince I hated so much.

I barely had time enough to notice her father was now on his knees, crying, when her mother stomped toward us “I should have _knew_ her Radiance wouldn't want **you** for avatar! **Just like nobody ever wanted you working for them!** ” before clutching the girl's arm. “You're just a good for nothing trouble maker…”

Catching the unfit mother by her wrist. “She _isn't_ the problem here, **_You_ are!** ” Then, making her free the girl, I asked “What kind of parents _**sacrifice** their children_ to a goddess?!? To protect their kids, _good ones would be willing to **defies gods**_ if needed.”

Then, glaring at Eudes De Malfréquentables, added “And **YOU** , as prince of the independent city of Belusco, should have done everything in your power to **prevent** this rather than _encouraging it_. But only a **good** ruler, one actually **caring** for his subjects _and their happiness_ , would do this. Something you clearly **don't** , or you would have created _schools_ , offering some _education_ to your principality's **children** , instead of approving child labor.”

“How dare you! How DARE **YOU!**!!” Roared the now enraged buffoon. “I give _you_ a gift, bounding you to _grant me_ a **favor** , and instead YOU _DARE_ TO LECTURE ME ON HOW **SHOULD** I RULE MY CITY?!?”

Looking at Zoé, I ordered “If anyone tries to intervene _or to goad a kid in doing so_ , **stop them by any mean necessary**.” Then, garring at the nasty being calling himself a prince, I explained “First, I'm bound to do **absolutely NOTHING** for you. The **only** thing a kitsune is has to do, regardless of how many tails it got, is to ensure this world's stability. Sure, my kin will gladly offer some help to someone amiable to them, but only **if that doesn't endanger our world's integrity**.”

Again I hugged the unfortunate child, at least as much to comfort _me_ than her. After calming down a bit I looked at Zoé who, sensing what I wanted, nodded her approval. (Nep' mentally doing the same.) “The best way to honor me isn't to become a living picture of myself, but to be yourself, living your own life. And you clearly can't do this here.”Separating from the unlucky girl, looking in the solid blue eyes concealing her own, I haded “So if you want, you could come live to the temple with us, _as our daughter_.”

She was hugging me tightly before I could say anything more. So while returning it, I stroked her hair, whispering “Don't worry sweetheart, everything will be okay now, don't worry. …My little Roxane.”

The smell slowly disappeared while she answered with a timid “Thanks”.

Slowly letting go, I saw her hairs had lost all trace of their nightmarish black stain, revealing Roxane as a little redhead. Hear ears, for their part, stayed black-furred kitsunes ones. “Can you take off your mask? Is it safe to do so?” She slowly did, letting everyone see her face too was affected by what was done to my adoptive daughter.

Her face was covered by the same blues marks than her mask, the same that were on my face before my tears altered them. Roxane's ones weren't made of make-up like mine, like proved their slight glow, but part of her own skin.

Another part of her that was affected were her now yellows eyes, displaying which element would have been hers had she been a kitsune, even if I didn't know this back then.

I probably would have admired her for a long time, if I hadn't been interrupted by her biological mother, who I had almost forgotten. “What did you do to **my SON!**?!”

“Son?” I dumbly parroted, before wondering aloud. “But when I asked, he said she was a girl? And now she truly **is** one! _**How?!?**_ ”

To everyone surprise, it was Roxane herself who answered “When… After they made me dress like you, my… I believed I… You, but body…” Again I hugged, trying to comfort her as best as I could, repeating that nothing was wrong with her, that I was just trying help her.

“Becoming her avatar made you think you were a girl, regardless of your body, didn't it?” Asked her still crying biological father.

When his former daughter nodded, he turned to his wife and carried on. “But she couldn't say or do anything about it, not having any sense of self anymore. And when that nice kitsune lady adopted her as a _daughter_ , naming her _Roxane_ , these new _pieces of identity_ assembled with the  _remaining shards_ of her past one, and that renewed sense of self _adapted her body_ to her new mind.”

Coming closer to Roxane, he put a hand on her shoulder and said “I'm a failure as a father. I should have protected you, that was my duty. Instead, I failed you and couldn't even see it, which I'm deeply sorry for. I don't ask for forgiveness, or even have any part in your new life, only wish for you to be happy in it.”

“I don't **care** if that kid is a girl, a boy or something else!” screamed a frustrated Eudes. “I don't even care that I intended for it to be your avatar instead of your daughter or whatever. All I care about is that _**I**_ gave it to you. So for thanking me, you **will** make Belusco have its _own_ resident kitsune, or **I will force you too, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER!** ”

The hateful prince move was so fast and unexpected Zoé couldn't intercept him in time. Brandishing his sword before running toward Roxane, he would have impaled her if her former father himself hadn't placed himself in the way, sacrificing his life.

This time, Nep' used her power to trap him in ice and took control of our body. “And how would you proceed to force **an eternal being** to do anything? In case you didn't know, I could be literally _shred to piece_ **without** dying. It would be extremely _painful_ and would need time to put my body back together, but that's all. As for killing someone I care about? It would only **increases** my unwillingness to help you, and may convince me to torture you.”

Walking toward the frozen jerk, Neptune made a show out of placing her hand around is junk **without** touching the ice covering it. The unworthy prince screamed rather undignified way. “Being in one of the more stables zones under my protection, Belusco **don't need** any resident kitsune. But your right, your city need some favors, the first one being why you screamed so much: Your sterilization.”

Going back to our adoptive daughter, who silently mourned her biological father, she asked “Do you need to go home _now_ sweetie, or can you wait a bit more?” For all answer, Roxane shook her head and tightened her grip on the dead man's hand.

Seeing our girl needed more time, she said to Zoé “Call for reinforcement, since Belusciens are currently unable to govern themselves, they need to be placed under regency, at least until their kids reach adulthood” perfectly knowing she already called.

“Way ahead of you, Nep'” she answered “I even got the council's help.”

We could have asked her why she contacted the council of nine-tails, but right then all Nep' and me wanted was to be there for our daughter.

* * *

Even if Belusco wasn't really far from our temple, and kitsunes have means to rapidly go from a point to another, reinforcement still needed time to ready themselves and join us, especially with how widespread Nep's peoples are on a first day.

Nep' had given me back control of our body (but still in _her_ form) so I could be there for Roxane, who struggled to stay awake. I thought she feared some Beluscien would try to hurt her during her sleep, and I honestly couldn't blame her after the recent events.

It's only on our way home, once well outside of earshot, that her true reason was revealed. I was carrying her in my arms, still looking like a kitsune, when she said “It wasn't you who iced the prince.” That wasn't a question.

“No, it wasn't.”

“So, who's my mommy?”

“Both Neptune and Zoé, I suppose… With me for father.” I answered, not really knowing what to say.

I must have been more exhausted than I thought to not realize she didn't know I'm a man. Thankfully, Roxane wasn't phased by a human-looking nine-tailed vixen claiming to be _her father_. She proved it saying “G'night, dad.”, finally letting sleep prevail, her head resting on my shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably my longest chapter I did in **any** work so far!
> 
> Like usual, if you see anything strangely worded, a mistake I didn't see and need correcting… _Bref_ , if you have anything to say, don't hesitate to let me some comments! (Praises are accepted too.)


End file.
